1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to gaskets, and more particularly, to a gasket with alignment pins integrally formed with the gasket and allowing for alignment pin removal after gasket assembly with parts to be sealed.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The installation of gaskets is often difficult due to problems in alignment of the various parts. This situation is most severe with large flexible gaskets, such as those used to seal automotive oil pans. A number of devices for aligning gaskets have been the subject of patents in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,884 by Miyaoh, et al. discloses a metal plate gasket for sealing engine parts. It uses clip retainers extended at right angles from the sides for securing the gasket to one of two engine parts. The gasket is rigid in nature and the clips are permanently attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,801 by Okano, et al., provides for alignment of a rigid gasket through use of dowel pins secured in one of the parts to be sealed. The gasket has corresponding holes with interfering members for gripping the dowel pins, facilitating alignment as well as holding the gasket in place.
An oil pan gasket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,396 by Scott, et al. This gasket includes plastic sleeves configured to protrude into bolt holes through the oil pan. The sleeves have interior annular ridges or teeth upon which an oil pan bolt can grip, thereby securing the bolt, pan, and gasket together and providing alignment during assembly.
Another approach to oil pan gasket alignment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,641, by Belter, wherein thin sleeves are attached to the gasket, dimensioned for an aligning fit in corresponding counter bores to bolt holes in the engine block.
Although the alignment devices of the prior art have solved many gasket alignment problems, there is still a need for an effective, economical gasket alignment device, particularly in the case of the large flexible type of gaskets such as those used on automotive oil pans.
For example, the alignment means of Miyaoh and Okano are designed for use with rigid gaskets. The Miyaoh device includes clips that are not removable, the use of which depends on a particular type of engine geometry for receiving the clip. The Okano device requires the use of dowel pins attached to the engine block, and a gasket complicated by separate layers including interfering members for gripping the pins. The Scott and Belter inventions both use permanent sleeve shaped members attached to the gasket, making manufacture more complicated, and requiring specially designed engine parts for use with the gasket.
There is clearly a need for a gasket that can be used on preexisting part designs such as automotive engine block and oil pan assemblies that is inexpensive and provides for gasket alignment. Such a device is particularly needed in situations where the gasket is large and flexible, a condition making it very difficult for the assembler to keep the gasket from moving out of position during assembly.